What does mnemonic mean? GCIDE(2.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition: mnemonic(n.) An abbreviated word that resembles the full word, used so as to be easily recognized; as, the CIDE uses ... tags as mnemnonics for an italicised word or field. Wiktionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition: mnemonic(Noun) Anything (especially something in verbal form) used to help remember something. To remember the colours of the rainbow, use the mnemonic: Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) mnemonic(Adjective) Of or relating to mnemonics: the study of techniques for remembering anything more easily. Origin: From mnemonicus, from μνημονικός, from μνήμον, from μνᾶσθαι, from men-; see mind. Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Mnemonic(adj) Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Mnemonic A mnemonic, or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids information retention.

Mnemonics aim to translate information into a form that the human brain can retain better than its original form. Even the process of merely learning this conversion might already aid in the transfer of information to long-term memory. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often used for lists and in auditory form, such as short poems, acronyms, or memorable phrases, but mnemonics can also be used for other types of information and in visual or kinesthetic forms. Their use is based on the observation that the human mind more easily remembers spatial, personal, surprising, physical, sexual, humorous, or otherwise 'relatable' information, rather than more abstract or impersonal forms of information. The word mnemonic is derived from the Ancient Greek word μνημονικός, meaning "of memory" and is related to Mnemosyne, the name of the goddess of memory in Greek mythology. Both of these words are derived from μνήμη, "remembrance, memory". Mnemonics in antiquity were most often considered in the context of what is today known as the Art of memory.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Mnemonic -al, nē-mon′ik, -al, adj. assisting the memory.—ns. Mnemon′ics, the art of assisting the memory: a mode of recalling to the mind any fact or number, or a series of disconnected terms or figures; Mnemos′yne, goddess of memory, mother of the Muses.—adj. Mnemotech′nic, mnemonic.—n. Mnemotech′nics, mnemonics. [Gr. mnēmonikos—mnēmōn, mindful—mnasthai, to remember.] Numerology The numerical value of mnemonic in Chaldean Numerology is: 7 Pythagorean Numerology Mnemonics Mnemonics BORED? Play our free word games – INTERACTIVE HANGMAN Mnemonics Mnemonics are devices to help us remember (aide memoire or memory aide). They come in many varieties and flavours, and can aid memorisation of many types of information. This section concentrates on mnemonics related to words and numbers. In our what are mnemonics?

section, you'll discover more about mnemonics and the various types that exist. Where there is something to remember, mnemonics can be put to use. You will find them in every discipline from music, medicine, biology, and electronics to spelling, physics, geography, and remembering telephone numbers! For examples of all of these, take a look at our mnemonics page . Mnemonics can even be used to remember numbers, and we have a special number mnemonics section where you will discover methods to remember telephone numbers, or the number pi to great accuracy! But of course there's not room for everything on this site. If you want to explore mnemonics further, or need a comprehensive book to assist you with spelling, or learning for your exams, then visit the mnemonics books section of our online wordplay books section. Do You Recognise These Mnemonics? Do you know what the following famous mnemonics are to aid the memory of? Answers to these mnemonics here. Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants. Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain. Every Good Boy Deserves Favour. A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream. High to Low; look out below.

Low to High; clear blue sky. How I like a drink, alcoholic of course, after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics. More number mnemonics here. Improve Your Memory! There are mnemonic methods that can dramatically improve your memory. Do you find you forget people's names? Would you like to remember telephone numbers better? Or perhaps you simply want to remember more of what you read? Take a look at out recommended memory improvement books in the mnemonic books section. Let kids Lead Mnemonics Memory Devices Memory Tricks All the rest have thirty-one, But February, it is great And brings to us twenty-eight, Unless it steps out of line And brings to us twenty-nine (leap year occurs every four years. The next one occurs in 2016). “When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.” This means that when there are two vowels in a row, the first usually has a long sound and the second is silent. That's why it's team, not taem; coat, not caot; and wait, not wiat. Remembering this rule will help you to put vowels in the right order.

~ Sent by Kats RICE is a mnemonic for foot injuries: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate. HOMES is a mnemonic for the five Great Lakes—Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. Notice that if you take the first letter of each Great Lake in the order shown, you get the word HOMES. Side note: Lake Ontario is the smallest Great Lake; Lake Superior is the largest (and deepest). Lake Huron is the second largest Great Lake, and Lake Michigan, the third largest, is the only Great Lake completely within the United States. Lake Erie is the fourth largest and is also the fourth letter in HOMES. A helpful tip: When trying to remember something, picture it in your mind and associate it with something funny or silly. For example if you have to remember the words “book,” “shoes” and “tree” you might want to picture a tree, wearing a pair of shoes, reading a book. ~ Sent by Mokeo ROY G. BIV is a mnemonic for the seven colors of the rainbow—Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.

If you take the first letter of each color in the order shown, you will spell ROY G. BIV. Here's one for the colors of the rainbow that I've never heard: Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain ~ Sent by Jen Here is a neat math trick. It only works with numbers ending in 5, and the number has to be squared (meaning that the number must be multiplied by itself). This has been tested for numbers as high as 5 digits. For example, 45 x 45. Take the first digit, 4, and multiply it by the number that is one higher; in this case, 5. 4 x 5 = 20. Now simply add 25 to the 20 and you have your answer (2025). Do this with 115 x 115. Take 11 x 12 = 132. Put 25 on the end and you get 13225. 99995 x 99995. Take 9999 x 10000 = 99990000.

Put 25 on the end and you get 9999000025. Test it with a calculator. Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally is a mnemonic for remembering the order of operations when solving an equation. P = Parentheses, E = Exponents, M = Multiplication, D = Division, A = Addition, S = Subtraction Please note: You don’t always add first, where addition and subtraction are involved. Take for instance, 10 – 4 + 2. The correct answer is 8. If you added first, it would be 10 – 6 = 4 and this is incorrect. Think of it as 10 + (– 4) + 2 = 8. It may be helpful to remember the following: 1) Calculate what’s inside parentheses first. 2) Perform all multiplication and division, working from left to right. So if given, 15 x 36/4, working left to right means you multiply 15 by 36 = 540/4 = 135. However, it might be easier to work from right to left.

That is, divide first then multiply: 36/4 = 9 x 15 = 135. 3) Perform all addition and subtraction, working from left to right. So if given, 10 – 3 + 4, working left to right means you subtract 3 from 10 = 7 + 4 = 11. ~ Both math tricks sent by Mokeo Au is the chemical symbol for Gold. Here’s a sentence to help you remember this fact: A! U! (Hey you!) That’s my gold! SKILL is a mnemonic for the Excretory Organs of the Body—Skin, Kidneys, Intestines, Liver, and Lungs. Notice that if you take the first letter of each excretory organ in the order shown, you get the word SKILL. Melvin Very Easily Makes Jam Spread Unless No Plums is a mnemonic for the order of the planets, beginning with that closest to the sun—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Note that the first letter of each word of the mnemonic corresponds to the first letter of the name of the planet.

Since both Mercury and Mars begin with the letter ‘M’, here is one way to remember that Mercury comes before Mars. Melvin is the FIRST word of the mnemonic, and the first two letters in Melvin and Mercury are the same. Another mnemonic for remembering the order of the planets is: My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets ~ Sent by Carolyn Here’s a mnemonic done in rhyme to help you remember how many DAYS are in each month: 30 days hath September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31, except February, for it is great and has only 28, except when it steps out of line and brings to us 29. (Leap year occurs every four years. During a leap year, February has 29 days. The next leap year occurs in 2012.) Here’s a good mnemonic for remembering when to turn your clock back one-hour or ahead one-hour: Fall Back, Spring Ahead. Here’s a mnemonic for remembering the biology principle of Hypertonic (Hypertonicity) vs. Hypotonic (Hypotonicity). Your body is made up of cells or units of living matter.

Hypertonicity occurs when the concentration outside the cell is greater than inside the cell. Thus, water leaves the cell and it shrinks. The way to remember that a cell shrinks under hypertonic conditions is to think of a hyper kid. Someone who is always hyper is constantly moving about and will most likely be skinny. Hypotonicity occurs when the concentration inside the cell is greater than outside the cell. Thus, water rushes into the cell and it swells. The way to remember that a cell swells under hypotonic conditions is to think of Hippo. Hippos are rather large and plump. Our bodies are always trying to remain in balance (i.e., Isotonic, Iso = same). Hence, depending on the circumstances, water leaves (hypertonicity) the cell to dilute the higher concentration outside the cell or enters (hypotonicity) the cell to dilute the higher concentration within the cell. On a map, when north is facing upward and south is facing downward, here’s a little trick to help you remember which way is west and which way is east. West would be to the left and east to the right.

The first letter in west is ‘w’ and the first letter in east is ‘e’. Put together, the two letters form the word ‘we.’ Note that ‘w’ is located to the left of ‘e’. See for yourself. N W E S Note: The tool used on a map to indicate the points of a compass is called a compass rose. North, East, South, West, starting from the top and moving clockwise: Never Eat Slimy Worms ~ Sent by Michelle Port vs. Starboard In boating, here is a mnemonic for remembering which side of a boat is port and which is starboard. The word “left” contains four letters as does the word “port.” Port is the left side of a boat when looking toward the bow. Starboard is the right side of a boat when looking toward the bow. Here's one for Port vs. Starboard that I've never heard: No Red Port Left ~ Sent by Jen Bow vs. Stern Here’s one for remembering what term to use for the front and back of a boat. When a person bows he bends forward (not backward). The bow is the front of a boat; the stern is the back. Waiver vs.

Waver Notice that the word waver also contains the word wave. As you may already know, a big wave can rock a boat or make it unsteady. Recall that the definition of waver is to become unsteady. Stationary vs. Stationery Here’s a mnemonic done in rhyme: Everything around him was scary so the canary stood stationary. Scary, canary, and stationary rhyme and end in ary. Foul vs. Fowl It may be helpful to remember that the word fowl—birds raised with the intent to be used as food—contains the word ‘owl’. Since an owl is a bird and since the word fowl contains the word owl, associating it in this way may help you remember to write the word fowl and not foul when referring to birds. Wring (to squeeze out liquid) vs. Ring (outline of a circle) I associate the ‘w’ in wring (pronounced ring, the ‘w’ is silent) with the ‘w’ in the word wet. Thus, when something is wet, it will dry faster if you wring it out first. People wear rings on their fingers.

If you’ve ever seen one, you already know that the band is circular so that it can fit around your finger. List of Common Mnemonics for Student Homework Help The Planets (without poor Pluto) are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles. 4. Order of Taxonomy The order of taxonomy in biology is: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. There are many mnemonics for this: Kevin’s Poor Cow Only Feels Good Sometimes. King Phillip Cried Out For Good Soup. 5. Taxonomic Classification for Humans So where do human beings fit in when it comes to the order of taxonomy? Animalia, Chordata, Mammalia, Primatae, Hominidae, Homo sapiens. Try one of these mnemonic devices: All Cool Men Prefer Having Heavy Sideburns. Anyone Can Make Pretty Healthy Hot Stew. 6. Mitosis Phases The phases of mitosis (cell division) are: Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase. Although it sounds rude: I Propose Men Are Toads. 7.

Classes and sub-classes of Phylum Mollusca Need to remember classes and sub-classes of Phylum Mollusca for biology class? S- Scaphopoda CAN - (sub-classes of Cephalopodia)Coleoids, Ammonoids, Nautiloids Try: Some Grownups Can't See Magic People But Children CAN. 8. Coordinating Conjunctions Coordinating conjunctions are used when we join two clauses together. They are: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. You can remember FANBOY as a device or try a full sentence mnemonic: Four Apes Nibbled Big Orange Yams. 9. Musical Notes The musical notes in the scale are: E,G,B,D,F. Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge. 10. Colors of the Spectrum Need to remember all the visible colors in the color spectrum? They are R – red, O – orange, Y – yellow, G – green, B – blue I – indigo, V – violet. Try to remember: Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain.

Using Mnemonics to Improve Your Memory - Memory Psychology - Psychologist World Using Mnemonics to Improve Your Memory Using Mnemonics to Improve Your Memory Remember better using the sounds of words. Posted in Memory Psychology First things first - what are Mnemonics? A Mnemonic is something which we can use to remember things much easier. As is often the case, it could be a phrase, a short song, or something that is quite easily remembered, that we use to remember something that would otherwise be difficult to remember. For example, we may use a phrase to remember a series of numbers, such as the mathematical Pi sequence (3.14159 etc) or an ordered list whose numbers or items are not easily memorized. Mnemonics are a way of remembering using association - associating easy to remember things with data.

Popular & Useful Mnemonics Colors of the rainbow/spectrum A number of mnemonic devices have been made to help people to remember the order of the colors of the spectrum, proving the power of mnemonics in revising for exams: Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain This phrase, easily remembered when thought about for a few seconds, borrows the first letter of colors in the spectrum as the first letters of each of its words (e.g. R in Richard represents red, Y in York helps us to remember Yellow, etc) Sing a Rainbow Song Many readers will recall singing the 'I can sing a rainbow' song in school in order to remember the colors of the rainbow. This song is useful in remembering easily in that it uses a tune that's easy to memorize, so that we associate the list of colors as we think of the tune. Beginning music students trying to memorize the notes of the staff use the mnemonics "Every Good Boy Does Fine" and "FACE" for the lines and spaces of the Treble Clef respectively. The Bass Clef equivalents are "Good Boys Do Fine Always" and "All Cows Eat Grass".

The acronym HOMES is also a mnemonic aid that can be used to remember the names of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior). The famous mnemonic for approximating the digits of pi: "May I have a large container of coffee?" Counting the letters in each word yields the sequence 3,1,4,1,5,9,2,6. A longer version is: "How I want a drink, alcoholic of course, after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics!" Another notable (but shorter) version is "How I wish I could recollect pi". A famous mnemonic used by medical students to remember the cranial nerves is "On Old Olympus' Tiny Top A Finn And German Viewed Some Hops" (with variations; some say "terraced tops," some say "towering top," and "view some hops" is sometimes rendered as "vaulted a hedge"). A mnemonic used by physics students to remember the Maxwell relations in thermodynamics is "Good Physicists Have Studied Under Very Fine Teachers", which helps them remember the order of the variables in the square, in clockwise direction.

Another mnemonic used here is "Valid Facts and Theoretical Understanding Generate Solutions to Hard Problems", which gives the letter in the normal left to right writing direction. A mnemonic for remembering the number of days in the months of the year, practically a cultural universal in the United States, is "Thirty days hath September/April, June and November." (Although this is only part of a longer rhyme, this is the only part that most people remember, so they commonly complete it with words similar to "... except February, which has twenty-eight, or twenty-nine in a leap year." The full mnemonic is "Thirty days hath September/April, June and November/All the rest have thirty-one/except February alone/which has eight and a score/until leap year gives it one day more.") Another mnemonic for the days of the months is not a rhyme or a jingle, but a gestalt. Whereas the traditional mnemonic simply associates the name of the month with the number of days, this one emphasizes the sequence. The 31 and less-than-31-day months would be easy to remember if they simply alternated, but this pattern was broken in 27 B.C.

by the decision to rename the month of Sextilis to Augustus and to increase its length from 30 to 31 days. Thus the fourth 31-day month, July, is immediately followed by another 31-day month. Since the human hand has four fingers, one can, given an appropriate mind-set, perceive this pattern in a view of the knuckles of two fists, held together. The raised knuckles can be seen as the 31-day months, the dips between them as the 30-day-months-and-February, and the gap between the hands ignored. (Thus: left-hand-pinky-knuckle = January, dip = February, left-hand-ring-knuckle = March, dip = April, and so on to left-hand-index-knuckle = July; then continue with right-hand-index-knuckle = August, dip = September, etc). A curious characteristic of many memory systems is that mnemonic devices work despite being (or possibly because of being) illogical, arbitrary, and artistically flawed. "Roy" is a legitimate first name, but there is no actual surname "Biv" and of course the middle initial "G" is arbitrary. Why is "Roy G.

Biv" easy to remember? Medical students never forget the arbitrary nationalities of the Finn and German. Any two of the three months ending in -ember would fit just as euphoniously as September and November in "Thirty days hath...", yet most people can remember the rhyme correctly for a lifetime after having heard it once, and are never troubled by doubts as to which two of the -ember months have thirty days. A bizarre arbitrary association may stick in the mind better than a logical one. More Complex Mnemonic Techniques A mnemonic technique is one of many memory aids that is used to create associations among facts that make it easier to remember these facts. Popular mnemonic techniques include mind mapping and peg lists. These techniques make use of the power of the visual cortex to simplify the complexity of memories. Thus simpler memories can be stored more efficiently. For example, a number can be remembered as a picture. This makes it easier to retrieve it from memory. Mnemonic techniques should be used in conjunction with active recall to actually be beneficial. For example, it is not enough to look at a mind map; one needs to actively reconstruct it in one's memory. Other methods for remembering arbitrary numbers or number sequences use numerological (lit.

number+word) systems such as the abjad, where each numeral is represented by a consonant sound. An example of a widely used system for memorizing numbers as words is the major system. Egg and Spear or Number Shape system This is another peg system, much like the number-rhyme system but more suitable for those with visual learning styles (a one looks like a candle; a two looks like a swan, and so on). Candle, spear Difference Between Mnemonic and Acronym | Mnemonic vs Acronym Home / Language / Words / Difference Between Mnemonic and Acronym Difference Between Mnemonic and Acronym Posted on Mnemonic vs Acronym It is important to know the difference between mnemonic and acronym as, during the process of learning, one apparently meets with much new information in the forms of words, phrases or chains of words. Some of this may be easy to learn whilst the rest of it would be quite challenging to learn and retain in your memory. Recalling what you learnt is an essential fundamental in the process of learning. When something is difficult to be retained in your memory, it would make it difficult to recall.

To recall what you learnt easily, one must be blessed with an outstanding power of memory, which is not one and the same to every learner. This is where mnemonics and acronyms come into action. Both mnemonics and acronyms are ways of converting complicated words, phrases or word sequences into simple and easily comprehensive and retainable ones. Although both mnemonics and acronyms functions in a similar manner to help the learners to memorize some word strings easily, there is a distinctive difference between mnemonic and acronym that is explored in this article. What is a Mnemonic? Mnemonic, or formally known as a mnemonic device, is a technique designed for learners which aids to retain information. Its objective is to transfer, usually, a string of words, into a format that retention of the original form is better retrieved by the brain. That is to say, mnemonics transform data into easily retrievable formats making the original forms easier to be memorized. Mnemonics are commonly used to memorize long lists, quiet long phrases, and numerical patterns and they are generally seen in forms of short and simple poems , rhyming lines which are memorable or even as fake names.

For example, the first two rhyming lines and the next fake name are used to memorize the colours of the rainbow. ‘Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain’ or ‘Run over your granny because it’s violent’ and ‘Roy G. Biv.’ These allow learners to retrieve the colours of the rainbow easily in the proper order when they take the first letter of each word; R for red, O for orange, etc. What is an Acronym? An acronym is a variety of abbreviation in the sense that it is a shortened word constructed by taking the first letters of each word of the words appearing in the sequence that you wish to memorize. The specialty in acronyms is that an acronym is a made up word and it is pronounced as a separate word, not by the name of the letter. Acronyms too are used to memorize long word strings that are otherwise difficult to be memorized. Unlike mnemonics, acronyms are a type of word formation process in English as they are considered as words. Moreover, all acronyms are written in upper case letters. For example, AIDS is a well-known acronym and it stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in length.

We do not pronounce AIDS as /A-I-D-S/, but we rather pronounce it as /eɪdz/. Acronyms are usually taught as a means of mnemonics as it is similar to mnemonics in the function they perform, to help aid memorizing and retention. Some other examples include: • FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation • NEWS – North East South West • JPEG – Joint Photographic Expert Group • NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization What is the difference between Mnemonic and Acronym? • Mnemonics are found in the form of rhyming lines, poems or as fake names while acronyms are made up words formed by all first letters of every word in a long phrase. • Mnemonics are not acronyms, but acronyms could be considered as a type of mnemonics when both aid quick memorizing and easy retention. • Mnemonics are not a type of abbreviation, yet acronyms are. • Mnemonics are used to memorize anything that is difficult to memorize such as long phrases, word chains, numerical patterns, long lists and sequences of just about anything. Acronyms are used to memorize a string of words that make up the name of something.

• A mnemonic is not considered as a separate word, rather they are phrases. On the other hand, an acronym is considered as a separate word. Hence, it is pronounceable as a word. Taking the above notions into consideration, it is comprehensive that although both mnemonics and acronyms serve a similar purpose, they are distinctly different. Mnemonic - definition of mnemonic by The Free Dictionary Mnemonic - definition of mnemonic by The Free Dictionary Relating to, assisting, or intended to assist the memory. n. A device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering. [Greek mnēmonikos, from mnēmōn, mnēmon-, mindful; see men-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] mne·mon′i·cal·ly adv. mnemonic 1. aiding or meant to aid one's memory 2. (Education) of or relating to memory or mnemonics n something, such as a verse, to assist memory [C18: from Greek mnēmonikos, from mnēmōn mindful, from mnasthai to remember] mneˈmonically adv 1. assisting or intended to assist the memory. 2.

pertaining to mnemonics or to memory. n. 3. something intended to assist the memory, as a verse or formula. 4. a symbol, acronym, or other short form used as a computer code or function, as in programming. [1745–55; < Greek mnēmonikós of memory =mnēmon- mindful + -ikos -ic ] mne•mon′i•cal•ly, adv. pron: mnemonic is frequently pronounced (in the computer field as nuˈmɒn ɪk, nyu-) as if the first syllable were new. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Mnemonics - Somewhat Useful Memory Crutches Start | WHAT'S NEW | Top Free Games Mnemonics - Easy Tricks and Gimmicks for Memorization Mnemonics are quick gimmicks that make some information more memorable. These are not the same thing as the memory systems , though, which are more complicated but also more effective. You have probably already learned a few of these tricks, even if you didn't know that's what they were called. Mnemonic tricks are a form of short-hand for remembering certain information.

Here are a few examples: Grammar: "I before E, except after C" Biology: "Kids Pour Catsup Over Fat Green Spiders" (Groups in taxonomy - Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species). Astronomy: "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nothing" (the planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth, etc.) Physics: "ROY G. BIV" (spectrum of visible light - Red, Orange, Yellow, etc.) Music: "Every Good Boy Does Fine" (treble clef scale - E-G-B-D-F) Calendar: "Thirty Days Hath September, April, June and November. All the Rest Have Thirty-One, Except February." (Months of the year having 30 or 31 days) Variations abound. A visitor named Robert, from UK, told me that his mnemonic for remembering the spectrum of visible light is "Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain,". This is a historical reference to the failed attempt of King Richard III to defeat Henry Tudor, later Henry VII. So if a particular mnemonic doesn't work for you, feel free to change it or use a variation that does!

Most mnemonic tricks like these fall into three categories: Acronyms, Acrostics, and Rhymes/Lyrics. Each of these are discussed below. If you don't care about the categories and just want to get started using them, just read the next section to learn how to do a Google search to find all you need. How to Use Mnemonic Tricks I could never list all the tricks for every subject. There are far too many, and new ones are being thought up all the time. Instead, you can search for mnemonics easily on the web whenever you like. To find tons of websites that list them, just do a Google search like the following: Want lots of ready-made mnemonic tricks? Try your own web search: Enter your search terms Submit search form You can search for specific subjects also. For example, if you are studying medicine, type "medical mnemonics" in the Google search box. Websites like MedicalMnemonics.com appear in the search results which has lots of medicine-related tricks you can use. The point is that whatever your subject, just do a Google search to find websites that have lots of those types of mnemonic tricks listed. So here's a little more information about each category.

This is useful to know if you want to start making up your own. Acronyms Acronyms are the "ROY G. BIV" type. Acronyms work especially well if the first letters of your list work happen to look like a word. If not, you're stuck with a real "acronym" (a random group of letters). For example, suppose you need to remember to buy tomatoes, zucchini, milk, green beans, and cereal at the store. Taking the first letters of your grocery list results in "TZMGC". Saying "T-Z-M-G-C" to yourself over and over might be enough to remember the list for a few minutes, but if you forget whether "T" stands for tomatoes or tortellini, you're out of luck. The acronym method works better if the letters form a real word. An example might be an acronym for the three types of logical reasoning: abduction, induction, and deduction. Notice that joining the first letter of each word spells the word "aid". Remembering the acronym AID may aid you in remembering the three types! Acrostics Acrostics are somewhat similar to the acronyms.

But instead of just remembering the first letters of the items in the list, you take each first letter and create a word. Then you string the words into a silly (and easy-to-remember) sentence. A good example is the following trick for remembering the biological groupings in taxonomy: "Kids Pour Catsup Over Fat Green Spiders". The first letter of each word in this sentence remind you that the groups are Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. I like this one, and it works as a memory aid. But if you have information to remember that doesn't already have an established "silly sentence" for it, you can spend a lot of time fiddling around trying to think of one. This method also doesn't work for remembering other types of information, such as people's names, vocabulary definitions, and so on. Physical Mnemonics Your own body can provide a medium for creating mnemonic reminders. A great example is using the knuckles on both hands to remember the number of days in each month: Rhymes and Lyrics You know how you call always remember the lyrics for that favorite song whenever it is played on the radio? One reason is that the music itself is a memory aid.

Try remembering the lyrics to a song while not listening to the music - it's much harder. So if you're really musical, perhaps you can write a little song for everything you want to remember. That seems like a lot of work to me. However, for some things rhymes or lyrics have already been thought of. Go ahead an use these if you like. A good example might be the rhyme for remembering which months of the year have 30 or 31 days: "Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November; all the rest have 31 (except February)". The rhymes that are out there might be useful for remembering very limited types of information. Certainly, though, you can't base your ability to memorize every type of information on this one. The Bottom Line with Mnemonic Tricks As you can see from the examples above, mnemonic tricks are definitely helpful in specific situations. The memory systems are the real miracles, though. Image-based memory systems like the Keyword Method , Link Method , and Peg Method can help you memorize almost any kind of material. Give them a try! You May Also Like Like This Page?

If you found the page above interesting, fun, or useful, please click the "Like" and/or "+1" buttons below. Feel free to leave a comment as well. Thanks very much! New! Comments Mnemonics > Useful mnemonics The following rhyming phrase helps people to remember how to spell such difficult words as receive. I before E, except after C. Unfortunately this rule does not always apply. One common exception is the word weird, which has prompted some people to use the extended version of this mnemonic: I before E, except after C. And "weird" is just weird. Sadly there are many, many more exceptions. Nevertheless this remains a very popular memory aid for spelling. The following adaptation is somewhat better: I before E, except after C. Or when sounded "A" as in neighbor and weigh. Just don't rely on this one for spelling words like weir and seize! The following mnemonic is used by pilots. If temperature or pressure drops, you will be lower (in altitude) than the aircraft's instruments suggest if they are left uncorrected. On the other hand, a rise in temperature or pressure will result in the opposite effect. High to Low; look out below.

Low to High; clear blue sky. This is somewhat reminiscent of these popular rhymes which guide people on what kind of weather red skies and rainbows generally herald depending on the time of day at which they are seen. Red sky at night: shepherd's delight. Red sky in the morning: shepherd's warning. Rainbow in the morning: travellers take warning. Rainbow at night: travellers' delight. Rainbows indicate humid air. A morning rainbow is seen in the West – the direction from which storms generally come – and so often appears before bad weather. Evening rainbows, which appear in the East, usually indicate the passing of stormy weather. Spelling Acronyms The following mnemonics are sentences or phrases in which the initial letters of the words spell out a word which many people find rather tricky to spell. BECAUSE This is certainly one of the most popular mnemonic techniques. Order of colours in the rainbow, or visual spectrum: (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain. Order of taxonomy in biology: (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species) Kids Prefer Cheese Over Fried Green Spinach.

Order of geological time periods: (Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene, Recent) Cows Often Sit Down Carefully. Perhaps Their Joints Creak? Persistent Early Oiling Might Prevent Painful Rheumatism. Order of Mohs hardness scale, from 1 to 10: (Talc, Gypsum, Calcite, Fluorite, Apatite, Orthoclase feldspar, Quartz, Topaz, Corundum, Diamond) Toronto Girls Can Flirt, And Other Queer Things Can Do. The order of sharps in music, called the "circle of fifths": (F, C, G, D, A, E, B) Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle. And in reverse for flat keys the mnemonic can be neatly reversed: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father. The notes represented by the lines on the treble clef stave (bottom to top): (E, G, B, D, F) Every Good Boy Deserves Favour.

And the notes represented by the spaces between the lines: (F, A, C, E)

Question: Which word means a device to aid memory e.g. "Richard of York gave battle in vain"?
Answer: Mnemonic